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Roll Call Memorial Service to honor fallen Miami Valley service members

By Amy Rollins, Skywrighter Staff / Published May 23, 2017

Taps was played May 26, 2016, by bugler Tech. Sgt. Cheryl Przytula, Air Force Band of Flight, during the 2016 Roll Call Memorial Service in the outdoor Memorial Park at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. This year’s ceremony falls on May 24 at 9 a.m. and is open to the public. (U.S. Air Force photo/Ted Pitts)
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Taps was played May 26, 2016, by bugler Tech. Sgt. Cheryl Przytula, Air Force Band of Flight, during the 2016 Roll Call Memorial Service in the outdoor Memorial Park at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. This year’s ceremony falls on May 24 at 9 a.m. and is open to the public. (U.S. Air Force photo/Ted Pitts)

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EDITOR'S NOTE:  This story has been updated to reflect the change of venue due to the possibility of inclement weather.


WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- The names of about 2,800 service members from the greater Dayton area who perished while serving in the United States Armed Forces in conflicts from World War II to present day will be read during a ceremony open to the public May 24 at 9 a.m. at the Religion Education Facility, 682 Chapel Lane, Dayton, Ohio 45431. This facility of off the installation and is acessible to the public. 


The reading of the names is expected to last for several hours.


The guest speaker will be Brig. Gen. Cameron Holt, Air Force Installation Contracting Agency commander. The official portion of the ceremony is expected to last about an hour, followed by the playing of Taps by a bugler from the Air Force Band of Flight.


Gold Star family members are expected to attend.


“This is an opportunity for all of us to pay respects to the fallen who have served our country,” said Staff Sgt. Jasmine Archuleta, one of the event’s organizers. “Memorial Day is not just for barbecues and a long weekend. It is a time for us to all reflect on the sacrifices these men and women have made for our great country. We are all thankful for them, and it is truly an honor to recognize them during this roll call.”


A display of helmets worn by Army and Marines ground forces during the conflicts of World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam and Desert Storm, including some that represent the longevity of the current global war on terror, is expected to be erected by Alejandro Villalva of the Life Sciences Equipment Laboratory, Agile Combat Support Directorate, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson AFB.


The ceremony’s setting is certainly appropriate, as the museum’s Memorial Park is home to about 500 benches and plaques that help tell the stories of the risks and rigors of military service.


The 2017 Roll Call Memorial Service is being organized by the 711th Human Performance Wing, U.S. School of Aerospace Medicine, and its Enlisted Council.


For more information, contact Tech. Sgt. Tia Strong at tia.strong@us.af.mil or Archuleta at jasmine.archuleta@us.af.mil.